Chapter 654: When the World’s Hero

Yin Zhong withdrew his hand from the lamp and placed the book on the desk. His peripheral vision swept over the weapon racks on both sides. The nearest sword rack was just an arm's length away, allowing him to grab the hilt and draw his sword instantly. The iron pick he had used to trim the lamp wick was not put down but remained clutched in his palm.

"Since you are not human, who are you and why have you come here? I am Yin Zhong, a Deputy General of the Da Zhen Northern Expedition Army. This is a vital military area; how dare a mere phantom or demon trespass!"

As Yin Zhong spoke, he slowly straightened his posture. Most of his attention and gaze were fixed on the white-haired old woman before him, while a small part remained focused on the sword at his side. His expression was calm and unmoving, but what he didn't know was that in the old woman's eyes, Yin Zhong's killing intent and fierce aura were slowly rising. To her, the entire tent, inside and out, was engulfed in raging flames.

The intensity of these flames made the old woman's expression subtly change, her mind far from as calm as her outward appearance suggested.

'Truly a formidable general of this age!'

"Heh heh, General, please do not be angry. This old woman did not come with ill intent. I am merely here to see if the Da Zhen Royal Army possesses the power to turn the tide. I first visited General Mei She's command tent. Although that old general still commands authority, he can only be described as a mediocre individual. Da Zhen's first two armies have already suffered greatly. If this third army is also composed of ordinary men, then victory will be hopeless..."

Yin Zhong maintained an outward calm, but inwardly, anger surged. He was like a precious sword slowly being unsheathed, every hair on his body bristling, ready to unleash maximum power in an instant. The old woman before him was not human, and her words were filled with contempt for the Da Zhen Royal Army. It was highly possible she was a practitioner of local dark arts. If so, Grand Marshal Mei She's situation could be dire!

Inside the tent, the killing intent and fierce aura grew stronger and stronger. The frightening murderous intent emanating from Yin Zhong's position caused a slight tingling sensation even in the old woman. At that moment, when she looked at Yin Zhong, she no longer saw an ordinary armored mortal general. Instead, it was as if she saw a colossal tiger standing upright, its fur bristling, fangs bared, and eyes glinting ferociously.

"Are you here merely to mock my Da Zhen soldiers? I, Yin, care not whether you are a demon, a ghost, or even a god. If you dare to speak disrespectfully again and insult my Da Zhen Royal Army, I will not spare you!"

Although Yin Zhong's expression remained unchanged as he spoke, his voice was low and deep. He himself did not realize that his killing intent was causing the oil lamp beside him to flicker incessantly. While his words seemed relatively restrained, they were in fact akin to a sword halfway out of its scabbard, signaling an imminent strike. The old woman, feeling this terrifying aura and murderous intent, as if sensing the general's unwavering resolve, felt a slight tremor of fear in her heart. Finally, a look of alarm crossed her face, and she quickly bowed slightly to Yin Zhong.

"General Yin, please calm your anger. This old woman is merely a reclusive cultivator from the remote borderlands between Da Zhen and Zu Yue. Though not human, I am not an evil spirit. I came solely to witness the true might of the Da Zhen Royal Army and to offer my humble assistance. Having witnessed your prestige today, it is clear you are indeed a rare hero in this world! Perhaps my earlier words were arrogant or offensive; I beg the General's forgiveness!"

Yin Zhong narrowed his eyes, somewhat mollified, but he did not lower his guard.

"You say you wish to assist my Da Zhen Royal Army? Are the bandit soldiers of Zu Yue truly stronger than my mighty Da Zhen forces? Zu Yue is weak; once their morale is broken, they will have no strength left to fight!"

The old woman smiled faintly and shook her head.

"While the General is undoubtedly a hero of this age, Zu Yue is not without its capable individuals. Furthermore, the soldiers of Zu Yue are inherently rebellious and fierce, having waged war within their own country for many years. They are more seasoned warriors than many Da Zhen soldiers who have never seen blood. This time, Zu Yue is making a desperate gamble, aided by non-human entities. The General may think he is confronting a mere bandit army from Zu Yue, but in reality, Zu Yue is committing its entire national strength to this struggle. One must not be careless!"

Yin Zhong nodded slightly, slowly rose to his feet, and took the sword from beside him, hanging it at his waist. This action actually made the old woman want to step back, though she didn't visibly move. Yin Zhong appeared to relax slightly, but in reality, his formidable aura was still building.

"Though I may mock the Zu Yue bandits in front of my soldiers, I have never truly underestimated them. Later, you may tell me about the bandit army's situation. As for the veracity of your words, I will judge for myself... Guard!"

At Yin Zhong's loud command, a soldier entered the tent moments later. He first glanced at the old woman inside with surprise, then clasped his fists and said,

"What are your orders, General?"

"Go, summon the Grand Marshal. Tell him I have an urgent matter to discuss!"

Yin Zhong intended to confirm if General Mei She was alright. During this process, the old woman remained silent, tacitly allowing Yin Zhong to issue commands. After witnessing Yin Zhong's formidable presence, she had firmly resolved to assist Da Zhen, not just because of Yin Zhong himself, but also because of the Yin family behind him.

Legend had it that Yin Zhaoxian, Da Zhen's most powerful Prime Minister, was the reincarnation of a Literary Star, representing the orthodox literary lineage and possessing a boundless upright spirit, truly a wise minister for all ages. His son, Yin Qing, was praised as a talent fit to assist a king. Now, the old woman had personally witnessed Yin Zhong, Yin Zhaoxian's second son, whose formidable presence was only found in renowned generals of the world.

Da Zhen's national power was already far superior to Zu Yue's, and with a prestigious family like the Yins commanding both civil and military affairs, it was truly a sign of a flourishing era.

Fifteen minutes later, Grand Marshal Mei She, who had just fallen asleep, arrived fully armored at Yin Zhong's tent.

"General Yin, what urgent matter requires discussion this late at night?"

As the soldier outside lifted the tent flap, Grand Marshal Mei She stepped inside and was slightly startled to see the old woman.

"Who is this person? Why is there an old woman in General Yin's tent?"

Seeing the Grand Marshal unharmed, Yin Zhong felt a slight relief. Now that the Grand Marshal was here, he was confident he could protect him, especially since he carried a special military treatise. Therefore, he first clasped his fists and saluted the old general.

"Your subordinate greets the Grand Marshal. This person claims to be a reclusive cultivator and says there is something unusual about the Zu Yue army. I specifically invited the Grand Marshal to discuss this!"

The old woman bowed slightly, a smile on her face. She had seen Mei She before but had not revealed herself, deeming it unnecessary. However, it was different now in front of Yin Zhong. Since Yin Zhong respected laws and military discipline, she did not want to appear to belittle Mei She in his presence.

"This old woman is originally a 'White Immortal' from Mount Tingqiu, who later found a place to cultivate near the border of Qizhou. Now, seeing the calamity of war between the two nations, I cannot bear to see the people of Da Zhen suffer, so I have come to assist. The situation in Zu Yue is not as simple as you imagine. There are powerful demonic entities assisting the Zu Yue kingdom; this is no longer an ordinary human conflict..."

Yin Zhong's brows furrowed slightly. He recalled that Mr. Ji had told him that "White Immortal" was a self-flattering term used by animal spirits who had attained cultivation, just as some snake spirits called themselves "Willow Immortals." Those who claimed to be "White Immortals" were often hedgehogs.

However, recognizing the truth without exposing it, Yin Zhong did not directly reveal the old woman's true identity. After all, those who called themselves White Immortals certainly wouldn't appreciate being referred to by an animal name. Although Yin Zhong had been full of killing intent earlier, he was not without respect.

Meanwhile, after speaking those words, the old woman produced two sachets from her sleeve, handing one to Mei She and the other to Yin Zhong.

"This old woman shall first present a gift to both generals, as a precaution against unforeseen dangers. These sachets contain heavenly talismans I have refined, imbued with spiritual power. They are precious treasures."

Mei She looked at Yin Zhong. Seeing the latter's slight frown, Mei She was the first to reach for the sachet.

The moment Yin Zhong's hand touched the sachet, he first felt a warmth radiating from it, as if it generated its own heat. Then, a wisp of green smoke began to curl upwards from the sachet.

The green smoke dissipated automatically after rising about a foot from the sachet, yet the sachet's warmth did not diminish significantly. Yin Zhong, while standing to one side protecting Mei She, abruptly turned his gaze to the old woman. His previously concealed killing intent and fierce aura instantly erupted once more. In the old woman's eyes, the tent momentarily transformed into a scorching inferno, startling her so much that she involuntarily took a step back. This step back made her realize her momentary loss of composure.

"General, General Yin, this sachet of mine is absolutely harmless. Please believe this old woman."

The old woman bowed while speaking rapidly. In this situation, she knew Yin Zhong suspected her, and his aura was truly terrifying. Even knowing that this general couldn't ultimately harm her, or at least couldn't kill her, he had genuinely frightened her. Mid-sentence, she suddenly remembered something and quickly added,

"General Yin, please hear me out. The General must possess a protective treasure bestowed by a powerful individual, or have been enchanted with a formidable protective spell by such a person. Oh, right, your esteemed father, Lord Yin, is a great Confucian scholar of this age, possessing boundless upright energy. Perhaps the General, having been near your father for a long time, has absorbed some of this profound energy. My path of cultivation is slightly different from the usual righteous paths, which might explain the reaction to my sachet. General, look quickly, the power in this sachet has not diminished! It truly is a protective treasure!"

The old woman's words had lost their previous composure. Even though she was not a mortal, a faint sheen of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Yin Zhong narrowed his eyes slightly, observing the sachet in his hand. The warmth was indeed still present. As for the protective treasure the old woman mentioned, he did possess one: the inscribed military treatise given to him by Mr. Ji. Seeing the old woman's nervous demeanor, it seemed her words were not false.

"There is indeed a warmth emanating from this sachet. I will trust you this once!"

With that, Yin Zhong reached out and took the other sachet into his hand. After another faint wisp of green smoke, the sensation from the sachet became even more comfortable.

Seeing that Yin Zhong believed her, the old woman subtly exhaled in relief. At that moment, she realized and inwardly mocked herself for truly fearing Yin Zhong. Yet, at the same time, she was even more certain of Yin Zhong's extraordinary nature, concluding that he must indeed be a chosen one of destiny.